Utilising the Innovative FHIR Standard

Defining a simple way to capture information about drug related adverse events.

FHIR represents a major upgrade in healthcare standards and is boosting health information sharing and support for the health sector. Because of the complexity of healthcare, it is very important that the users of the data being shared – clinicians and patients – are involved in the design aspects of any project. Users need to be sure that what is delivered will meet the requirements that the project is intended to address. In this white paper we will look at how they can be involved in such a technically challenging domain using an example scenario of capturing Adverse Reaction data.

Adverse Reactions are defined in pharmacology as any unexpected or dangerous reaction to a drug, an unwanted effect caused by the administration of a drug. These unexpected effects of taking medications can cause harm to patients and in unfortunate circumstances even death. It is important when clinicians are prescribing medications for patients, that they are aware of any previous adverse reactions, so they can minimise any further harm.